Protective turret



y 31, 1932- c. SENISCH 1,861,193

' PROTECEIVE TURRET Filed May 28, 1930 HIII Inventor Charles Selzz'sc/l attorney Hlllum Patented -May 31, 1932 UNITED STATES CHARLES Samson, or OMAHA, NEBRASKA PROTECTIVE runner Application filed ma 28, 1930. Serial No. 456,594.

This invention relates to a protective turret for money deposits, and has for its principal object to provide offensive and defensive means to prevent-bank robberies. However the same means described herein may be em- ;ployed in counting houses, mercantile establishm'ents, oil-filling stationsor other places where money is deposited or kept for distribution, to prevent robbery.

Since robberies of banks, oil-filling stations and the like are of frequent occurrence and are carried out by bandits and gun-men with loss of lives of any and all persons who oppose them it is lawful to defend property even to the extent of taking the lives of such persons during the commission of these crimes. 7

The invention includes a bullet-proof compartment or turret which may be built in or attached to a building in aposition elevated from the ground or floor so that a watchman, rifleman or operator while in the turret may have a clear view of all of the space used in carrying on the business, the occupant being provided with suitable weapons for defending the property of the establishment from his protected position.

The invention includes a compartment or turret of such construction that, while practically bullet-proof, is provided with numerous open spaces to permit ventilation and with sight-apertures.

It is an object of the invention to provide means for the purposes mentioned which may be installed at a moderate cost, will be convenient' in use and effective in protecting property against robbery.

With the foregoing objects in view and others to be mentioned the invention presents 0 a new and useful construction, combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that changes may be made in form, size, proportion of parts and minor details, said changes being within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a broken away perspective view illustrating the device installed in a bank. Fig. 2 is a view showing the front metallic wall of a turret in section.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate detail construction. Fig. 3 is a viewof a part of the inner side of the Wall shown in Fig. 2 to indicate a gun-receiving aperture, a pair ofhorizo11-: tal and a vertical view-slot opening on the aperture and a slide door for covering the aperture and slots. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 3, a gun being shown in dotted lines.

Referring now to thedrawings for a more particular description, the invention is shown and described in connection with the interior of a bank and showing the floor 6 of a banking room, and teller windows 7 i I provide a compartment or turret 8, the floor thereof being indicated at 9. It is provided with an upright front wall 10 of metallic construction, the upper part of this wall, near the ceiling 11, consisting of numerous horizontal metallic strips or slats 12 disposed in overlapped but spaced relation to provide spaces 13 the'rebetween as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings."

It will be understood that the spaces 13 permit light and ventilation'for the compartment or turret, and since all of the horizontal slats 12-havea transverse inclination upwardly and inwardly of the compartment they operate to advantage as elements of defence since bullets or other missiles moving inwardly of the compartment through the spaces 13 would be deflected upwardly from the strips 12'toward the ceiling and above the operator within the compartment, and therefore the occupant of the turret would escape injury. 7

It will be understood that the wall 10 consists of a metallic sheet or plate and operates as a shield. "It is provided with gunreceiving apertures 14 through which guns may bethrust and are of such proportions that a gun 15 may be inclined downwardly and at any-required angle to command the entire area of the ground floor 6, and it will be understood that any'desired number of apertures 14 may be used, all preferably being disposed in horizontal alignment at' a suitable distance above a desk 16.

ing on an aperture 14, each vertical slot being disposed above an aperture 14.

It will be appreciated that operation in aiming a gun would be quite impossible unless the vertical slots 18 were provided and that the horizontal slots are necessary for practically observing the actions of highwaymen or bandits in the act of robbery, and since .these openings 14, 17 and 18 are of limited. size theliability of injury to the occupant of the turret will be very remote from any stray bullets or other missiles entering said turret.

Numerals 19 indicate electrical call boxes and it is obvious that electrical connections may be made so that a teller or ofiicial of the bank may transmit an alarm to the operator within the turret of any attempted hold-up. Also said operator could, by electrical control, cause locking of the door or doors of a bank to prevent escape of a robber, electrically operated mechanism (not shown) being provided for that purpose. Also by use of a telephone 20 an occupant of the turret could call police.

Numeral 21 indicates a grate or grid which is mounted in the floor of the turret which provides ventilation.

At all times while the bank is open for business an operator should be stationed in the turret for defensive and offensive duty. The occupant may pass the time at routine work at the desk 16. However, he should devote alert attention to what may happen in all parts of the bank to prevent a bank robbery, and since such occupant is in a protected and elevated position he may be able to effectively discharge his duties.

While the drawings and description of the invention relate to the interior of a bank, it is obvious that the turret and parts relating thereto may be used elsewhere. In all instances, however, the turret is to be disposed in an elevated position so that the movements and actions on the ground or floor may be seen in a manner to be understood by the operator within the turret.

It is believed that if it became known to a bandit that these turrets had been installed in a bank or other place where money or valuable merchandise was kept, this knowledge would prevent any attempted holdup or robbery, and it will be appreciated that the expense of maintenance and installment is very limited in comparison with the losses which might otherwise occur.

Numerals 22 indicate slide-doors which may be moved on the wall 10 to cover the apertures 14 and slots 17 and 18, whenever desired. In instances when a single operator is defending an attempted robbery, all of the doors 22 may remain closed except the door which covers the slots and aperture in use.

I claim as my invention,

1. A protective turret for money handling rooms, comprising an enclosure adapted to be mounted at a point of vantage in a room and having a bullet proof wall exposed to the room, said wall having louvres in its upper part opening inwardly toward thetop of the enclosure for lighting and ventilating purposes, said wall having at least one gun receiving aperture therethrough below the louvres and having vertical and horizontal sight slots radiating from the gun aperture.

2. A protective turret for money handling rooms, comprising an enclosure adapted to be mounted at a point of vantage in a room and having a bullet proof wall exposed to the room, said wall having louvres in its upper part opening inwardly toward the top of the enclosure for lighting and ventilating purposes, said wall having at least one gun receiving aperture therethrough below the louvres and having vertical and horizontal sight slots radiating from the gun aperture, and a bullet proof slide mounted on the inner side of the said wall for covering said gun receiving aperture and said sight slots.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

CHARLES SENISCH. 

